| Lawmakers Dispute Report Of Too Many Colleges
By Phil Kabler Staff Writer
www.wvgazette.com
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Members of the House Education Committee voiced criticism Tuesday over a recent legislative audit concluding that West Virginia has more colleges and universities than it can support.
Delegate Brady Paxton, D-Putnam, said the report ignored the economic value of the colleges to their host communities.
"If you close Glenville State College, Glenville will fold up, and I'm afraid Gilmer County will fold up, too," he said, adding, "For these small rural colleges, whatever money we put into them, they generate much more."
Delegate John Shott, R-Mercer, agreed.
"There seems to be an assumption made that because we have more four-year institutions than other states, somehow that's a liability," he said.
The audit cited Bluefield State and Concord University in Mercer County as examples of institutions within 25 miles of each other, which are forced to compete for the same pool of in-state students.
Legislative manager Aaron Allred said one of the points of the audit was to show the disparity between the state's high number of four-year colleges per capita, but low percentage -- 17 percent -- of state residents with four-year degrees.
"Somewhere there is a disconnect," he said.
Delegate Terry Walker, D-Jefferson, suggested that the fault may not be with the higher-education institutions but with the lack of job opportunities for college graduates in West Virginia.
"Our colleges are graduating people, but they're not staying," he said.
Reach Phil Kabler at philk@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1220.
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